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Home > Archives > AEM-7 locomotive No. 904 pulling Amfleet II cars, 1980s.

AEM-7 locomotive No. 904 pulling Amfleet II cars, 1980s.

Color slide showing AEM-7 electric locomotive No. 904 pulling four Amfleet II coach cars; image likely dates to the 1980s.

AEM-7 locomotive No. 904 pulling Amfleet II cars, 1980s.

In this image, AEM-7 electric locomotive No. 904 pulls four Amfleet II coach cars, including No. 25000, the first in that series. Due to this unusual consist, which lacks a food service car, it's possible that this image depicts a special move of newly built Amfleet II cars along the Northeast Corridor.

Amtrak contracted with the General Motors Corporation's Electro-Motive Division (EMD) to manufacture the AEM-7, a high-speed, lightweight model based on Swedish designs. The AEM-7 was produced from 1978 to 1988, and can reach speeds up to 125 mph.

Amtrak ordered the Amfleet II cars in early 1980 for use on long-distance overnight routes. Built by the Budd Company at its Red Lion Plant in northeastern Philadelphia, the 125 coaches and 25 food service cars were similar in exterior appearance to their Amfleet I predecessors, but included only one vestibule and were modified on the interior for a more spacious layout. The fluted stainless steel on the exterior of the Amfleet cars gives them an aerodynamic appearance.

Photographer: Unknown for Amtrak. From the Amtrak Corporate Collection.